Day 10: Things to Do if You Are Spring — community edition! [Poetry Friday]

Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.)

These are hard days for writers, aren’t they? Especially ones who aren’t big names. And who have books from last year not selling too well along with books publishing this year and facing extra challenges. (I know, these are hard days for everyone, including mostly people with much bigger problems than this!) It makes any good news extra wonderful! This is not new news, but I was so excited to see it. When School Library Journal appeared in my inbox with a free digital edition to read, I was happy to go through it. I was surprised and delighted to see a three-page spread celebrating NCTE’s Notable Poetry and Novels in Verse awards. Seeing my name and three of my titles on this list buoyed me for the whole day, and the gratitude lingers. It was made extra fun by seeing again books by some participants in Poetry Friday and the general online kidlit poetry community. Spot anybody you know in this little excerpt?

Okay, now on to this week’s poem! Last week, I posted my Things to Do if You Are Spring poem that appeared in the Spring edition of Children & Libraries. I invited you guys to share your own lines for a community version, and many of you did. Thank you! I adore the variety of voices here, and I think this really reflects the messiness, and yet the beauty, of this time.

 

And for lots more wonderful poetry, don’t miss the Poetry Friday Roundup with Amy at the Poem Farm. Poetry is such a comforting  shelter these days.

Save

20 Responses

  1. Awww… you wove our lines together beautifully, Laura! It’s warms my heart to be part of this little community poem. Congratulations that THREE of your books were “notable”—not surprising, but great to see regardless. 🙂 I figured out that I’ve read about 70 percent of the ones pictured, so I’m off to a good start, but with a ways to go.

  2. I love it! The coming together of all the lines into a whole helps me feel less alone. Thanks!

    1. Thank you for putting into words what felt so good about assembling this poem!

  3. Beautiful chorus of voices, Laura & everyone! Spring is one thing that’s touching all our hearts!

  4. Congratulations on your good news–and I recognized several. Yea! Thank you for weaving together this community in this poem Despite the outward circumstances, spring is bringing hope.

  5. Yes, it’s wonderful and rich and alive and green and spring! Fun!

    1. I do this kind of group poem all the time with kids. It’s a simple, flexible form–I love it!

  6. So many congratulations to you, Laura! Those books of yours are delightful, and I am so happy they are receiving the attention they deserve. And what a community joy for spring. I am reading it to the snow outside! Lots of love and health to you and to your family. May this time bring you new words. xx

    1. What a great wish for us all. Thanks, Amy–and that snow is coming our way tomorrow! Up to 11 inches in southern Minnesota, and I guess those of us in the Twin Cities are due for “a plowable amount” of at least several inches. I love snowstorms and being snowed in, but as antsy as we’re all getting, it’s perhaps not the best time for it. Especially for folks with Easter plans. Thanks for hosting PF!

  7. Congratulations on your good news — well deserved. And your community line woven poem turned out lovely. Thanks for more bits to help buoy us all through the coming week(s). Be well. 🙂

  8. A fun and fulfilling poem Laura, thanks for the call and your orchestration–smiling from it, and I love the background imagery for it! Congrats on your books too! This poems a perfect way to end my day and start a new week, xo.

  9. Laura, I finally got time to step back and read through PF posts. I totally forgot about the community poem you were going to pen. I think you did a wonderful job and hope you will consider posting this on my Nature Nurtures! Padlet at https://padlet.com/cvarsalona/eg1xn0hxilua for the #NatureNurtures2020 Gallery. Congratulations on your great news!

    1. Done! And I hear you. I’m still trying to get through last week’s PF posts. Trying to do that more, but my to-do lists keep expanding.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 2,499 other subscribers

Are You Looking For?

Poetry Friday posts

Classroom Connections posts

All my poetryactions

Go to my Poetry page for:

  • National Poetry Month projects through the years
  • Small Reads Roundups (poems grouped by topic)
  • Introductions to several favorite poetry forms
Tags
#waterpoemproject15 Words or Less Poems20for2030 Painless Classroom Poems50 State Poemsacrosticsactivity pagesactivity sheetALAA Leaf Can Be...Amy Ludwig VanDerwaterA Need to FeedanthologiesanthologyA Rock Can Be...art projectsaudiopoemsawardsbad newsBarbara Juster EsbensenBilly Collinsbiopoemsblog tourbookalikesbook festivalsBookSpeak!book spine poemsbook trailersbop poembyr a thoddaidcafepresscalendar poemsCamp Read-a-LotCan Be... bookscan be... poemsCapstoneCarol Varsalonacascade poemsCatherine FlynnCCRA.W.3CCRA.W.4CCRA.W.5centoschapter bookschoral compositionschristina rossetticinquainsCLAclassified ad poemsclassroom connectionclassroom connectionsClover Kittyconferences and conventionscrown sonnetscybilsdansaDare to DreamDavid Elliottdeeper wisdom poemdefinitosdiamantesdiversitydizaindodoitsuDot DayDouglas Floriandownloadablesdrum corpse.e. cummingsekphrastic poemsepistolary poemsequation poemsessentialethereeseventsexquisite corpseFairy Tale Garage Salefamilyfibonaccifiction picture booksfinding familyfirefightersforeign editionsfound poemsfree author zoomsfree versefrom studentsgeesegeorgia heardghazalGift Taggiveawaygolden shovelgoldilocksgratitudehaikuheart of aheart of a teacherHeidi MordhorstHelen FrostHighlightshow-to poemshow to make a rainbowI Am FromI Am poemsidiomsif you want to knit some mittensIf You Were the MoonILAimagepoemsinterviewin the middle of the nightIRAIrelandIrene LathamJ. Patrick LewisJanet WongJoyce SidmanKendraKerlanKidlit Comboslailaura's board booksLaura's booksLaura's poemsLaura's readingsLaura ShovanLee Bennett HopkinsLilian MoorelimericksLinda Booth SweeneyLion of the Skylist poemslittle free librarylive writingLullaby and Kisses Sweetlyricsmadness poetrymargaret simonMarilyn Singermary lee hahnmask poemsMeet My FamilyMelissa StewartMentors for Rentmentor textsmetaphorMichelle Myers LacknerMillbrookMinnesota Book Awardsmoonmy reading lifemy writing processN+7naaninarrative poemsNational Poetry Month 2012 (haiku a day)National Poetry Month 2014 (riddle-ku)National Poetry Month 2015National Poetry Month 2016National Poetry Month 2017 (#wonderbreak)national poetry month 2018 (haiku a day)National Poetry Month 2020National Poetry Month 2021 (#EquationPoem)national poetry month 2022 (sticky-note poems)National Poetry Month 2023 (Digging for Poems)ncteNerdy Book Clubnifty newsnifty stuffNikki Grimesnonfictionnonfiction booksNonfiction Writers Dig Deepnovelsnovels in verseodesOne Minute Till BedtimeoppositifyOskar's VoyagepadletpantoumsparodiesPatreonpeacepersonalpet poemsphotopoetryphrase acrosticspicture booksplagiarismpoempicspoemspoems for two voicespoemsketchpoetic pursuitsPoetry 7poetryactionspoetry activitiesPoetry Blastpoetry booksPoetry FridayPoetry Friday AnthologiesPoetry Princessespoetry promptspoetry sistersPoetry Tips for Teachersprogressive poempublishing processpuddle songPutridquotationsraccontinosRandy Salasread-aloudreadaloudreading poetry in the classroomRebecca Kai Dotlichrecipe poemsrefugeesresearchreviewsrevisionrhyming booksrhyming nonfictionrhyming picture booksRhyming Picture Books the Write Wayrhyming poemsRiddle-kuriddle poemsRock Can Be...Rock the Blogrondeau redoublesRudyard Kiplingsalas snippetsSCBWIschool visitsScotlandseasonssecrets of the loonSELsestinasshrinking daysskinnyskypeslice of lifesmall readssnack snooze skedaddlesnowman-coldsonnetsStampede!storm poemstorytimestorywalkstudent poemsstudent workSylvia VardellTanita Davistankatautogramteachableteacher resourcesteen/adult poemsterza rimasthankfulthank yous and referencesthe business sidethings to do iftracy nelson maurertrioletstunie munson-bensonvideosVikram MadanvillanellevillanellesWater Can Be...wealthy elementaryWe BelongWhat's InsideWhy-kuwinterwonderwonderbreakword of the yearwordplaywordsmithswork for hirewritingwriting bookswriting processwriting promptswriting the life poeticyoung authors conferencesYouTubeZap Clap Boomzenozentangle
Show More Show Less

Join Laura's monthly newsletter for eductators

Get three of Laura's favorite poetry activities when you subscribe to "Small Reads."